NATURE STUDY REVIEW [9 :3— Mar, 1913 



And yet of all the well dressed throng 



Not one can sing so brave a song. 



It makes the pride of looks appear 



A vain and foolish thing, to hear 



His "Sweet — sweet — sweet — very merry cheer." 



A lofty place he does not love, 



But sits by choice, and well at ease, 



In hedges, and in little trees 



That stretch their tender arms above 



The meadow-brook ; and there he sings 



Till all the field with pleasure rings ; 



And so he tells in every ear. 



That lowly homes to heaven are near 



In "Sweet — sweet — sweet — very merry cheer." 



I like the tune, I like the words ; 



They seem so true, so free from art, 



So friendly, and so full of heart. 



That if but one of all the birds 



Could be my comrade everywhere. 



My little brother of the air, 



This is the one I'd choose, my dear, 



Because he'd bless me every year 



With "Sweet — sweet — sweet — very merry cheer." 



One Adjustment of the School Garden to the 

 School Year 



Lewis M. Dougan. 



At the Henry Shaw public school in St. Louis, the year 

 ends about June 15th and begins again on the first Tuesday in 

 September. Between these dates, for two and a half months of 

 the best of the growing season, the pupils are widely scattered 

 and regularity of attendance upon garden work is practically 

 impossible. Some are out of town, some are employed during 

 the hours when the garden needs them, and there are some 

 who are indifferent. So, during vacation, our garden work 

 as done by classes is suspended. I mention classes because under 

 our conditions it seems best for the children to work in groups 

 of twenty-five or fifty at a common plot in all grades below the 

 sixth. By this method we give some garden practice to a larger 



